Autism and immune system/Autism and vaccines

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Autoimmune Theories

One possible cause of autism may involve faulty immune regulation, in

particular, autoimmunity

7<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#7>.

Brain autoantibodies to myelin basic protein (anti-MBP) and neuron-axon

filament protein (anti-NAFP) have been found in autistic children

8<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#8>. Among 33 autistic

children (less than or equal to 10 years of age) compared to 18 age-matched

normal children, antibodies to myelin basic protein were found in 19 of 33 (

58%) sera from autistic children as compared to only 7 of 50 ( 7% ) sera from

control children 9<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#9>.

The diagnosis of autism was made by at least one pediatric psychiatrist and one

clinical child psychologist using the DSM-III-R guidelines of the American

Psychiatric Association, Washington, D.C. Since nearly 60% of autistic children

show mental retardation ( MR ) (IQ of 70 or lower ), 20 children with MR due to

unknown causes and 12 children with Down syndrome ( DS ) were also studied as

the disease controls. The testing for serum antibodies to MBP was performed with

the technique of protein-immunoblotting. This result indicated that the autistic

children have about 8.3 times greater incidence of antibodies to MBP than the

control children. Since none of the 12 DS children and only 3 of 20 MR children

showed this antibody- positive reaction, the authors concluded that the mental

retardation in autistic children was not related to the production of antibodies

to MBP.

Singh, et al. (1998), examined the associations between virus serology and

autoantibody by simultaneous analysis of measles virus antibody (measles-IgG),

human herpesvirus-6 antibody (HHV-6-IgG), anti-MBP, and anti-NAFP. They found

that measles-IgG and HHV-6-IgG titers were moderately higher in autistic

children but did not significantly differ from normal controls. They found that

a vast majority of virus serology-positive autistic sera was also positive for

brain autoantibody: (i) 90% of measles-IgG-positive autistic sera was also

positive for anti-MBP; (ii) 73% of measles-IgG-positive autistic sera was also

positive for anti-NAFP; (iii) 84% of HHV-6-IgG-positive autistic sera was also

positive for anti-MBP; and (iv) 72% of HHV-6-IgG-positive autistic sera was also

positive for anti-NAFP. Their study was the first to report an association

between virus serology and brain autoantibody in autism. They authors believed

that their data supported the hypothesis that a virus-induced autoimmune

response may play a causal role in autism.

Immunological testing of autistic children has shown certain features that are

also found in patients with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus

erythematosus ( SLE ), thyroid disease ( TD ), ankylosing spondylitis ( AS),

rheumatoid arthritis (RA ), insulin-dependent diabetes ( IDD ), and multiple

sclerosis ( MS ). These are: ( a ) genetic predisposition -- autism shows a

greater concordance rate in monozygotic twins than in the normal population; ( b

) gender factor -- autism is 4 or 5 times more common in boys than in girls; ( c

) triggering by microorganisms -- rubella virus and cytomegalovirus infections

have been indirectly linked to autism; ( d ) maternal factors --maternal

antibodies in autism were detected

10<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#10>; (e ) major

histocompatibility ( MHC ) association -- autism displays genetic linkage with

immunogenetic factors located on chromosome six

11<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#11>; and ( f )

immune activation

12<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#12>.

The parallels between autism and other autoimmune diseases suggest that

autoimmunity may be a critical factor in the cause of autism. An essential part

of the autoimmune mechanism should involve antibody-mediated immune response or

antibodies against brain, the affected organ in autism. In this respect, a few

recent studies in autism have found evidence of antibodies to brain tissue

antigens, e.g., MBP, neurofilament proteins, and serotonin receptor

13<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#13>. Antibodies to

MBP may have some pathological relevance since abnormal cell-mediated immune

response ( involving a soluble factor but not antibodies ) to this protein was

previously detected, suggesting that autistic children somehow develop

inappropriate immune responses to this brain protein

14<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#14>. Brain-reactive

antibodies and the increased serum levels of IgG3 antibody, which selectively

activates complement function via classical pathway ( another type of immunity

), could be an important first step in the activation of complement-mediated

nerve cell damage, thereby altering their ability to perform normal function of

nerve impulse transmission

15<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#15>.

Despite numerous behavioral problems, research into the brains of autistic

children has been hampered by the lack of available brain biopsies or autopsies.

Based on a very limited number of case studies, anatomical abnormalities in

certain parts of the brain have been found, but the findings are not suffiently

consistent to permit any firm conclusion. While the pathological data are

scarce, we know virtually nothing about the neurochemistry ( neurotransmitter

function ) of the autistic brain. Whatever the pathological abnormalities might

be, it is generally believed that the anatomical defects are the results of

abnormal development rather than damage following full development of the brain

in autistic children

16<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#16>. At present, the

relationship between antibodies to MBP and autism is not understood. However,

the development of this immune response may be the basis of autoimmune

pathogenesis in some cases of autism. At birth, there is very little myelin in

the brain, and the synthesis of myelin may not be complete until the age of 10

years or older in the normal child

17<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#17>. Moreover, it

has been suggested that some children with learning disabilities ( LD ) may have

delayed or incomplete myelin development

18<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#18>. In light of the

above, it is conceivable that if an immunological assault were to occur before

birth or during infancy or childhood, it could lead to poor myelin development

or abnormal function of the nerve fiber myelin. This line of thinking may be an

important step in the future understanding of the pathological basis of autism.

For more information about immunology and autism see the following sites:

a.. Immune Panels for Autism Spectrum

Children<http://www.jorsm.com/~binstock/tests.htm>

b.. The Autism Autoimmunity Project: Addressing Autism Through

Immunology<http://www.gti.net/truegrit/>

c.. Altered Immunity & The Leaky Gut

Syndrome<http://www.wwonline.com/rona/altered.htm>

d.. Immune Response to Brain Myelin in Autistic

Children<http://attila.stevens-tech.edu/spons_proj/pages/immune.html>

Vaccinations and Autism

Dr. Wakefield, a Gastroenterologist at the Royal Free

Hospital in London, England, discovered a possible connection between autism

and viral infection associated with the MMR vaccination. The damage from autism

is thought to be provoked by the an allergic type reaction initiated by the

body's reaction to the vaccine. This auto-immine response could also affect

DPP-IV, reducing its levels, thereby connecting vaccines to the opioid theory of

autism.

For more information, please see The Mechanism of Encephalitic Damage from

Vaccines<http://www.trufax.org/vaccine/myelin.html> by Val Valerian.

Myelination is an essential part of human brain development. Nerves can only

conduct pulses of energy efficiently if it is covered with myelin. Like

insulation on an electric wire, the fatty coating of myelin helps keep the

pulses confined and maintains the integrity of the electrical signal so that it

has a high signal-to-noise ratio. When the insulation on a wire is damaged or

destroyed, the flow of electrical current may be interrupted and a short-circuit

occurs. See Colorado Health Net's MS Definitions, Facts, and

Statistics<http://www.coloradohealthnet.org/ms/ms_stats.html> for more

information.

Oligodendrocyte cells give white matter its color by manufacturing myelin. If

myelin falls into disrepair, nerve axons cease to function, even though they

themselves aren't damaged. Protecting oligodendrocytes after brain or spinal

cord injury might keep nerve cells intact. " See Washington University in St.

Louis School of Medicine's article on new findings on nervous system

damage<http://wupa.wustl.edu/nai/feature/1998/March98-spinal.html> for more

information.

At birth, relatively few pathways have myelin insulation. Myelination in the

human brain continues from before birth until at least 20 years of age. Up until

the age of 10 or so, vast areas of the cortex are not yet myelinated, and up to

the age of 20, large areas of the frontal lobes are not yet myelinated

21<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#21>.

Myelination begins in the developmentally oldest parts of the brain, like the

brain stem, moving to the areas of the nervous system that have developed more

recently, like the prefrontal lobe and cortex. Myelin spreads throughout the

nervous system in stages which vary slightly in each individual. Impairment of

myelination can alter neural communication without necessarily causing severe

CNS damage.

The prefrontal portions of the cerebrum have a profound influence on human

behavior 22<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#22>. If an

individual is injected with vaccines,most of which have adjuvants like mercury

and aluminum compounds, as well as foreign proteins (some from other species in

which the vaccines were grown) and biological organisms, unprotected nerves may

be impacted. The argument for a role of vaccines in the development of autistic

disorders hinges on these biological effects upon nerves, damaging them in a way

that influences behavior and learning patterns.

The history of studies on vaccines began in 1922 when a smallpox vaccination

program caused an outbreak of encephalitis, with a secondary result of

Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an ascending paralysis ending in death. The polio virus

produces a breakdown of the myelin shealth, called poliomyelitis, which results

in paralysis. Encephalitis, whether caused through disease or as a result of

vaccination, can cause demyelination of the nerves. For more information, see

again The Mechanism of Encephalitic Damage from

Vaccines<http://www.trufax.org/vaccine/myelin.html>. " In regions in which there

is no organized vaccination of the population, general paralysis is rare. It is

impossible to deny a connection between vaccination and the encephalitis which

follows it. 23<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#23> "

In 1935, Rivers discovered " experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, "

or (EAE). Until then, it was assumed that encephalitis was caused by a viral or

bacterial infection of the nervous system. Rivers was able to produce brain

inflammation in laboratory monkeys by injecting them repeatedly with extracts of

sterile normal rabbit brain and spinal cord material, which made it apparent

that encephalitis was an allergic reaction. EAE can explain the association of

allergies and autoimmune states with encephalitis.

In 1947, Isaac Karlin suggested that stuttering was caused by " delay in the

myelinization of the cortical areas in the brain concerned with speech. " In

1988, research by Dietrich and others using MRI imaging of the brains of infants

and children from four days old to 36 months of age have found that those who

were developmentally delayed had immature patterns of myelination.

In 1953 it was realized that some children's diseases, measles in particular,

showed an increased propensity to attack the central nervous system. This

indicated a growing allergic reaction in the population to both the diseases and

the vaccinations for the diseases.

In 1978, British researcher, Bannister, observed that the demyelinating

diseases were getting more serious " because of some abnormal process of

sensitization of the nervous system. "

Some investigators believe that this increased sensitization of the population

is being enhanced by vaccination programs.

DPT and Brain Damage:

In 1948, Randolph Byers and Frederick Moll , of Harvard Medical School and the

Federal Drug Administration carried out tests on DPT vaccines at Children's

Hospital in Boston and concluded that severe neurological problems could follow

the administration of DPT vaccines. The results of the tests were published in

Pediatrics.

In 1976, Dr. Manclark, an FDA scientist, remarked that " the DPT

vaccine had one of the worst failure rates of any product submitted to the

Division of Biologics for testing. "

According to the testimony of the Assistant Secretary of Health, Grant,

Jr., before a U.S. Senate Committee on May 3rd, 1985, every year, 35,000

children suffer neurological damage related to the DTP vaccine. See

" Vaccinations " <http://www.livelinks.com/sumeria/health/vacc.html>, by

Logia, for more information.

In 1992, the Institute of Medicine concluded that " the evidence is consistent

with a causal relation between DPT vaccine and acute encephalopathy, defined in

the studies reviewed as encephalopathy, encephalitis, or encephalomyelitis, and

the evidence indicates a causal relation between DPT vaccine and anaphylaxis,

between the pertussis component of DPT vaccine and protracted, inconsolable

crying. " For more information, see the Leading Edge Master Analysis of the

Vaccination Paradigm<http://www.trufax.org/vaccine/v6.html>.

Like the material used to produce experimental allergic encephalitis, vaccines

contain substances which qualify as " adjuvants. " These substances initiate

reactionary antibody formation. Common adjuvants used in vaccines are aluminum

hydroxide and aluminum potassium sulfate. In the body, formalin coating around

the injected material dissolves, releasing all bacterial and viral particles

from animal culture sources. Substances such as thimerosal and these adjuvant

chemicals irritate body tissues and increase the action of accompanying bacteria

and viruses, as well as the reaction of the immune system to the foreign protein

antigens, potentially damaging neurological membranes where the myelin sheath

has only partially protected the nervous system. This can result in mild to

severe neurological damage, leading to learning disabilities and other nervous

system disorders, or death, especially upon subsequent injections, since body

has already been sensitized, promoting allergic reactions of increasingly severe

nature. For more information, see again the Leading Edge Master Analysis of the

Vaccination Paradigm<http://www.trufax.org/vaccine/v6.html>.

Dr. M Poser has drawn the link between the vaccines and demyelination:

" Almost any... vaccine can lead to a non infectious inflammatory reaction

involving the nervous system

24<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#24>. The common

denominator consists of a vasculopathy that is often... associated with

demyelination. " For more information, see the Society For The Autistically

Handicapped (S.F.T.A.H.)'s Vaccines: Fact

Sheet<http://www.rmplc.co.uk/eduweb/sites/autism/autism10.html>.

Jonas Salk, the developer of the vaccine, wrote in 1975, " Live virus vaccines

against influenza or poliomyelitis may in each instance produce the disease it

intended to prevent . . . . the live virus against measles and mumps may produce

such side effects as encephalitis

25<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#25>. "

Post-vaccinal pathology of the central nervous system (CNS) is a topic

deserving further investigation (An Italian Study Finding Biochemical Markers of

Vaccine Damage<http://www.trufax.org/vaccine/coulter3.html>, © 1996, L.

Coulter, Ph.D.). Observation of 30 patients of Italian nationality, observed

between April, 1994, and October, 1995, showed that clinical signs of CNS

pathology, along with associated dermatitis, food allergies, constipation, and

leaking from the anus, emerged concomitantly or immediately after vaccination

with the Salk or Sabin polio vaccine, DT, measles, DPT, anti-tuberculosis, or

Hepatitis-B vaccines

26<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#26>.

These 30 patients from various regions of Italy, all presented with a clinical

history of convulsions concomitant with, or immediately after, vaccinations.

Patients whose clinical history was not referable to a vaccination were excluded

from the study. Accepted patients received tissue typing for HLA (A, B, C) and

HLA DR-DQ. Various immune functions: were also studied, including lymphocyte

subpopulations, serum immunoglobulin content, and presence of antibodies to

specific viruses (CMV, EBV, HSV-1 and HSV-2, VZV).

Patients had earlier been diagnosed with epilepsy, myoclonic epilepsy, evoving

epilepsy, epileptigenic encephalopathy, autism, West Syndrome, and Angelman's

Syndrome. All the patients had presented with the first symptoms shortly after

receiving a vaccination.

The first symptoms were convulsions, high fever, or diarrhea immediately

following vaccination. The parents had told their physicians about this; then,

after taking EEGs and visiting neuropsychiatric specialists or pediatricians

without conclusion, the physicians had administered the recall shots of the

vaccines leading to stabilization of the condition with progressive clinical

deterioration.

Children were 3 to 9 months old. All patients were studied for the presence of

metabolic diseases with negative results; then chromosomal mapping was done,

also with negative results; encephalic TAC and RMN were performed at first

appearance of the symptomatology, also with negative results.

The EEG performed at first appearance of the symptomatology gave a negative

result in 92% of the patients. Serologic investigations for herpetic virus (IgG

and IgM) were positive in all for IgG and negative for all for IgM, leading to

an estimate of seropositivity (IgG) for Epstein-Barr virus of 73.8%; for

cytomegalovirus, of 71.4%; for Herpes Simplex virus, of 47.6%; and for

Varicella-Zoster Virus of 21.4%. In all the patients they observed diminished

sideremia and a deficit of IgA and IgG with a slight increase of SGOT and SGPT.

None of the patients had maternally transmitted viral encephalopathy, and in all

the patients the vegetative and relational life was quite normal prior to

administration of the first dose of vaccine. Again, see An Italian Study Finding

Biochemical Markers of Vaccine

Damage<http://www.trufax.org/vaccine/coulter3.html>, for more information.

[

MMR Vaccine and Autism:

The following news release appeared in the popular media in 1998, and was a

major television news item:

Cleveland, Ohio, Posted 4:00 p.m. November 20, 1998:

" Studies Suggest the Measles-Mumps-Rubella

Vaccine Is a Possible Cause of Autism "

NewsChannel5 reports hundreds of thousands of children receive the MMR

vaccine every year, but now studies show a tiny percentage of cases may cause

autism. Since the MMR vaccine was introduced about 35 years ago,the incidents of

autism in children have increased by 1,000 percent, from two or three in 10,000

to one in 500.

]

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Pro & Con Research on MMR, Autism Connection Compared:

The publications of Dr. Wakefield in March 1998 and of Dr. Brent

in June 1999 share only two important features, they both originated from The

Royal Free Hospital in London, and they both appeared in Lancet.

Wakefield did his first colonoscopy on an autistic child, because the anguished

mother begged him to find the reason why her son had such terrible

gastro-intestinal problems. When he found some very specific pathology, Dr.

Wakefield proceeded to investigate several more autistic children, identifying

and documenting, again and again, the same very unusual findings.

A particular aspect of the history intrigued Dr. Wakefield. Many parents

adamantly stated that their children's autistic symptoms appeared shortly after

they received the MMR vaccine. One ten year old boy's story was probably the

most striking This child was fine, and absolutely normal in every respect, as

per his doctor, parents, and teachers. Shortly after he received the MMR

vaccine, he started exhibiting symptoms of autistic behavior, and within three

months, he was severely damaged.

Dr. Wakefield, in his very professionally written article, described each case

carefully, history, blood work, colonoscopy findings, and histo-pathological

reports, etc. He went on to review the work of several distinguished researchers

in different fields, who were also looking at the causes of Autism, and had

developed tests, or suggested therapies.

Dr. Wakefield had no choice but to mention that many parents reported some

temporal relationship between the MMR vaccine administration, and the onset of

their children's autistic symptoms. As an ethical researcher he could not in all

conscience, " bury " such a frequently reported association, and he urged other

disciplines to study the problem. Although full of medical terms, Dr.

Wakefield's paper was clear, and easy to understand, even by a lay person.

Findings were factual, and all conclusions were justified, logical, and fully

supported by the evidence presented.

The immediate result of Dr.Wakefield's paper was a vitriolic attack from every

front. A flood of opposing articles appeared in the same issue of Lancet, and

systematic criticism, nearing persecution, of this decent researcher began, and

is still going on.

Distraught parents of affected children have become even more confused,

because no one has been able to prove conclusively to them yet, that an MMR

vaccine-Autism connection does not really exist. There have been no safety

follow-up studies looking beyond four weeks post vaccination, and many studies

quoted, have been partially funded by vaccine manufacturers, with obvious

commercial interests.

Indeed, no serious researcher has looked at a large sample, three to nine

months post MMR vaccination, when auto-immune diseases usually would occur. When

some parents in England became vocal, the pro-vaccine authorities in the UK

reacted forcefully, to protect their MMR vaccination program. The single

measles, mumps and rubella vaccines effectively became unavailable, and every

effort was made to prove Dr. Wakefield wrong.

The Medicines Control Agency and The Public Health Laboratory Service

supported a study, to be carried out by the Department of Community Child Health

Royal Free, Dr. Wakefield's own institution, and University College Medical

School, London.

Again, it is important to repeat here, that Dr. Wakefield never said there was

a causal relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism. The just published

study by et al was hailed by everyone as the definitive work on the

subject, .......but is it?. I personally believe it has raised more questions

than it has answered.

Dr. 's paper seems difficult to read and understand. The summary

findings are confusing, and the whole report is full of statistics, symbols and

figures, clearly for the purpose of proving that the conclusions are

unquestionably true. Case series analysis is a very weak statistical approach,

and can only reliably suggest or refute relationships in very large samples. The

samples in this case are small. The methodology used is therefore of marginal

quality, and the authors readily acknowledge its limitations.

Dr. and associates also present some data as graphs, without text

support. This makes it impossible for the reader to check said graph data for

accuracy, and tends to disguise the very small sample size used. It is customary

that study results are written as a text, and then, a chart or a graph can be

added, to emphasize a point. The authors report numbers clearly indicating a

massive and persistent increase in autism over the years. They then do not offer

any sensible cause for that increase to negate an MMR connection, and choose to

conclude simply that their study fails to prove any causal relationship.

Elsewhere, Dr. and associates, state that the age of diagnosis was the

same before and after the introduction of the MMR vaccine, and then go on to

deduct, that this is proof that the MMR vaccine therefore does not have a

causative role, a conclusion I have difficulty with.

On page 6, Dr. states in his discussion, in the last paragraph, that

" There is uncertainty about whether the prevalence of autism is increasing " .

This totally contradicts all what he reported through the article, and

particularly the statement which immediately followed, " Our study is consistent

with an increase in autism in recent birth cohorts. " It also contradicts the

most impressive California report to the legislature. and my own, Autism 99, A

National Emergency, in which I have clearly demonstrated a four to seven fold

increase in the incidence of Autism in the last seven years.

On page 7, third paragraph, Dr. states: " For age at first parental

concern, no significant temporal clustering was seen for cases of core autism

and atypical autism, with the exception of a single interval within six months

of MMR vaccine associated with a peak in reported age of parental concern at 18

months. " In the next paragraph, Dr. states, " Our results do not support

the hypothesis that MMR vaccination is causally related to autism " . I am

personally unable to understand how he can make such a deduction after he

himself reported a peak.

But by far, the most serious problem I have with this study, is the case

selection, ie the very data on which the paper is based. The MMR vaccination was

started in the UK in 1988. The vaccine was originally administered around age

fifteen months to avoid its neutralization by maternal antibodies. ( Lately,

this has been changed to twelve months of age.) By selecting children born

" after 1987 " , Dr. does not include in the post- MMR series, all children

born in 1986 and 1987, who reached the age of 15 months in 1988, and received

the vaccine at some time that year or later. Also not included were the 2, 3 and

4 year old children, whose parents had not immunized pre 88, and who received

the MMR vaccine when it became available, or when the requirement was enforced.

Finally, also excluded from the sample were many children who had received one

of the single vaccines (Measles, Mumps or Rubella) from 1983 on, and who were

given a booster of MMR in 88 or later. By excluding ALL these children, Dr.

not only removes them from the after 1988 group, but indeed adds them to

the pre-1988 statistics. I believe this flaw alone may compromise the whole

study.

In the first paragraph, Dr. and associates state that " we undertook the

study to investigate whether the MMR vaccine may be causally associated with

autism " . It rather seems to me that this study was undertaken to prove that

there was no causal association between the two. Similarly, Dr. states in

the last paragraph that his results " will reassure parents and others, who have

been concerned about the possibility that the MMR vaccine is likely to cause

Autism, and that they will help restore confidence in MMR vaccine " .

To my knowledge no one has ever said that the MMR vaccine is " likely " to cause

autism. Concerned parents have only requested that independent researchers

investigate why certain somehow predisposed children exhibit autistic symptoms

shortly after they receive the MMR vaccine. It also seems unlikely to me, that

Dr. 's work has helped restore the confidence of those parents in this

vaccine. It may soon be apparent that in spite of all the publicity that

surrounded the publication of this study, it somehow " has missed the mark " . I do

not believe Dr. and associates have significantly changed the picture.

The following facts remain:

a.. <about:blank>The incidence of Autism has increased significantly in the

last decade.

b.. <about:blank>There is every reason to believe that this trend will

continue.

c.. <about:blank>No one has proved that MMR vaccine plays a role in autism.

d.. <about:blank>No one has proved conclusively that it does not.

e.. <about:blank>Serious studies by independent researchers are desperately

needed, to look into all aspects of this dreadful disease.

- F. Yazbak, MD, FAAP

[Note: Dr. Yazbak is one of the collaborating physicians of the Autism

Autoimmunity Project.]

The above article originally appeared in the June 24, 1999 issue of the FEAT

Daily Online Newsletter<http://www.feat.org/FEATNews/>.

Elevated Rubeola Titers in Autistic Children and MMR vaccine:

T. Zecca , et al. at the New Jersey Medical School's Children's Hospital of

New Jersey in Newark compared rubeola virus in autistic and normal children.

Among 16 children diagnosed with autism followed in their clinical practice,

they found a 3-fold increase in rubeola titers over expected normal range. A

Wilcoxon Kruskal Wallas test comparing 13 rubeola titers from normal children

revealed a statistically significant p-value of 0.005.

Subjectively, parents have stated that their children's developmental

milestones deteriorated following MMR vaccination. Neurological sequelae

following MMR are widely reported. The authors suggested that elevated titers of

anti-measles antibodies in autistic children could signify a chronic activation

of the immune system against this neurotropic virus, which may play a role in

the pathogenic sequences of events leading to autism. They emphasized the need

for further studies.

[

Vaccination During Pregnancy and Risk for Autism:

F. Yazbak describes six mothers who received live virus vaccines and one

received a Hepatitis B vaccine during pregnancy after having received an MMR

booster five months prior to conception. All the children who resulted from

these pregnancies have had developmental problems, six out seven (85%) were

diagnosed with autism, and the seventh seems to exhibit symptoms often

associated with autistic spectrum disorders. Since we do not know from this data

how many women received vaccines during pregnancy and had entirely normal

children, Yazbak's observations may be spurious. Nevertheless, the observation

could be important. For a copy of this observation, see: Autism: Is There a

Vaccine Connection? Part I: Vaccination after

Delivery<http://www.garynull.com/documents/autism99b.htm> and Autism: Is There a

Vaccine Connection? Part II: Vaccination During

Pregnancy<http://www.garynull.com/documents/autism99b2.htm>.

[

Vaccination and the Risk for Autism:

Do vaccines contribute to autism?

A February 28, 1998, report in The Lancet suggested an association among

inflammatory bowel disease, autism, and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine

based on 12 cases. Dozens of heart-rending anecdotal accounts link permanent

neurologic disability or death to vaccine use. One of the leading sites in the

anti-immunization field is the National Vaccine Information Centre

(NVIC)<http://www.909shot.com/>.

Some information about the risks and side effects of vaccines on the NVIC site

is accurate in spite of its overwhelming emphasis on the risks of vaccination.

Nevertheless, as the site states,

" Vaccination is a medical procedure which carries a risk of injury or death.

As a parent, it is your responsibility to become educated about the benefits and

risks of vaccines in order to make the most informed, responsible vaccination

decisions. "

A similar statement can be made about any medical procedure.

There area also possible, but unproven links between MMR vaccine and juvenile

diabetes, multiple vaccines and autism, and OPV and Gulf War syndrome. Time and

further research will tell if these proposed relationships are real.

In the Lancet report, Dr. Wakefield and team from Royal Free Hospital and

School of Medicine in London reported a case series of 12 children, referred to

their pediatric gastroenterology clinic with a diagnosis of pervasive

developmental disorder and intestinal symptoms. These children had lost acquired

skills, including communication, after a period of apparent normality. Among

eight of the children, the onset of behavioral problems had been linked, either

by the parents or the child's physician, with MMR vaccination.

Five had an early adverse reaction to immunization (rash, fever, delirium, and

seizures in 3). The average interval from exposure to first behavioral symptom

was 6.3 days (range 1-14). Among the remaining 4 children, one received

monovalent measles vaccine at 15 months, after which his development slowed. A

striking deterioration then occurred in his behavior at age 4.5 years, the day

after he received an MMR vaccine.

A second child received the MMR vaccine at 16 months, developing at 18 months

a combination of recurrent, antibiotic resistant, otitis media, along with his

first behavioral symptoms (lack of interest in siblings and lack of play). A

third child received an MMR at 15 months, experienced recurrent " viral

pneumonia " for the next 8 weeks, and developed behavioral symptoms 4 weeks after

the MMR ( loss of speech development and deterioration in language skills). The

fourth child developed self- injurious behavior 2 month after the MMR. Urinary

methylmalonic - acid excretion was significantly raised in all children tested

(8 of the 12). Ten of the twelve children showed lymphoid nodular hyperplasia of

the terminal ileum on endoscopy. The eleventh child had prominent luteal lymph

nodes and the ileum was not reached in the twelfth (who had an ulcer in the

rectum along with chronic colitis).

Other studies have suggested a link between autism and vaccination.

H.H.Fudenberg reported that the first symptoms of autism among 15 of 20 children

developed within a week of vaccination. S.Gupta commented on the striking

association between MMR vaccination and the onset of behavioral symptoms in all

the children he investigated for regressive autism. The MMR vaccine is all live

virus. Disintegrative psychosis is recognized as a sequela of measles

encephalitis. Viral encephalitis can give rise to autistic disorders,

particularly when it occurs early in life.

A genetic association for autism is represented by a null allele of the

complement C4B gene located in the class III region of the major

histocompatibility complex. The C4B-gene is also crucial for protection against

viruses. Affected individuals may not handle certain viruses appropriately; even

the attenuated ones used in vaccines. In an addendum to the paper, the authors

noted that their sample size had increased to 40 children by Jan 28,1998, with

39 of those showing similar findings.

These studies raise an important provocative point. MMR vaccine may trigger a

cascade of events leading to autism in genetically susceptible children. The

possibility must be further studied. Unfortunately vaccination among public

health and medical practitioners has become almost sacred. Questioning the

wisdom of vaccination for certain children is seen as professional heresy.

Nevertheless, the possibility cannot be ignored. Could killed MMR accomplish the

same task? Should measles be administered separately from mumps? We know that

the combination of chicken pox and measles dramatically increases the risk for

subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Perhaps other mixed viral infections are

also clinically significant.

More important is the science we must use to explore this. Simply correlation

analysis and comparison studies will not suffice. If autism is linked to MMR

vaccine in genetically susceptible individuals, unless these individuals are

selected from the larger pool, the statistical significance will cancel out.

Medical research suffers from a failure to consider interactions and synergy in

the disease process. Simple epidemiology will not suffice, since we are not even

sure what the potential genetic defect is in autism or if autism is one syndrome

or many.

[]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Action of Secretin Theories

The improvement of some autistic people on secretin has been dramatic. No one

knows how secretin brings about behavioral changes. A good review of Secretin

can be found at The National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR)

Website<http://babydoc.home.pipeline.com/naar/naar.htm>

Secretin and cAMP:

Secretin stimulates pituitary adenylate cyclase (via PACAP) which increases

intracellular cAMP in certain brain regions. One thought is that secretin

administration reverses the lowering of cAMP brought about by opioids.

Lectins and Secretin:

Lectins are able to bind to cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors and other

glycosylated membrane proteins

27<http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm#27>. The lectins,

wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA-I), are used for

affinity chromatography to isolate the highly glycosylated CCK-A receptor of

pancreatic acinar cells. In vitro both lectins showed a dosage-dependent

inhibition of CCK-8-induced alpha-amylase secretion of acini over 60 min. WGA

showed a strong inhibitory effect on amylase secretion, approximately 40%, in

vitro. UEA-I caused a smaller, but significant decrease, approximately 20%, in

enzyme secretion of isolated acini. Additionally, both lectins inhibited

cerulein/secretin- or cerulein-induced pancreatic secretion of rats in vivo, but

not after secretin alone. The results are discussed with respect to a possible

influence of both lectins on the interaction of CCK or cerulein with the CCK-A

receptor.

There are two divergent opinions on secretin--one that high dose secretin is

necessary to obtain CNS binding of secretin to receptors in the brain as opposed

to the concept that secretin is a neuropeptide and only small concentrations are

required (as per oral secretin administration).

[

The Concept of Increased Intestinal Permeability

The concept of increased intestinal permeability is key to many theories of

autism. Just how important is the integrity of the intestine's mucosal lining to

good health? In children in remote tropical regions without access to adequate

medical care, progressive damage to the gut's barrier function can eventually

lead to life-threatening conditions, requiring them to be airlifted for

emergency medical treatment.

Aboriginal children in Australia, for example, have high rates of severe

intestinal diseases, or enteropathies, that cause chronic diarrhea. These

conditions can lead to dehydration, acidosis, and hypokalaemia - serious

complications associated with central nervous system damage and even death.

To shed more light on how these conditions develop, researchers from Australia

evaluated intestinal permeability (IP) in Aboriginal children, measuring the

rate that two nondigestible sugars are excreted in urine after ingesting a

challenge drink. This noninvasive test indicates the gut's ability to absorb

nutrients and to block toxins, bacteria, allergens, and other potentially

harmful molecules from penetrating into the systemic circulation.

The IP ratio for Aboriginal children with diarrhea was, on average, more than

twice as high as that found in their healthy Aboriginal peers. When compared

with healthy non-Aboriginal children, these Aboriginal children with diarrhea

showed an IP ratio over three times higher than normal. An elevated ratio of

larger molecules such as lactuolose to smaller sugar molecules such as mannitol

or rhamnose, recovered in the urine sample, indicates increased permeability and

mucosal damage. This value is known as the IP ratio.

Surprisingly, a higher IP ratio was found even in healthy Aboriginal children

without diarrhea. Researchers speculated that this increased permeability -

double that normally found in healthy non-Aboriginal children - was " consistent

with an underlying partial villous atrophy, " a wearing down of the finger-like

projections on the intestine's mucosal layer, caused by environmental factors.

For this reason, the Aboriginal children were more susceptible to

gastrointestinal diseases and their complications.

How does this all happen? One possible mechanism involves the body's digestion

of milk products. Increased IP may reflect damage to the microvilli, which can

reduce levels of lactase, the enzyme needed to digest milk sugar, eventually

triggering osmotic diarrhea. Once this disease process starts, small bowel

mucosal damage, indicated by higher IP ratios, remains " an important factor "

associated with increased acidosis, hypokalaemia, iron deficiency, dehydration,

and parasitic infection.

Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory<http://www.gsdl.com/> offers an Intestinal

Permeability Assessment<http://www.gsdl.com/assessments/ip/>. This test is a

noninvasive and convenient way to evaluate gut mucosal barrier function in

patients with chronic gastrointestinal disorders or in those individuals with a

higher likelihood of developing such problems, including patients with chronic

inflammatory conditions, especially those using NSAIDS. I use it with my

autistic children and monitor the effectivenes of my treatment to reduce

intestinal permeability.

Two physicians have written articles that are posted on the Great Smokies' web

site: Inflammatory Conditions and the Gastrointestinal

Tract<http://www.gsdl.com/news/1999/19990228/index.html>, by Myron Lezak. M.D.,

and Leaky Gut Syndrome: A Modern

Epidemic<http://www.gsdl.com/news/1999/19990227/index.html>, by Jake

Fratkin, O.M.D. Both discuss aspects of intestinal permeability and the

conditions related to impaired mucosal function.

I suspect intestinal permeability is very important for autistic children, and

that the assay should be routinely used as a means of following the success of

therapies for autism.

Reference: Kukuruzovic RH, Haase A, Dunn K, Bright A, Brewster DR.

Intestinal Permeability and Diarrhoeal Disease in Aboriginal Australians. Arch

Dis Child 1999;81:304-308.

]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vitamin A Deficiency and Autism

Research is currently being conducted by Dr. Megson on a connection

between Vitamin A deficiency and Autism. Children are receiving either Vitamin A

or placebos to study effect on behavioral and biological symptoms. According to

the World Health Organization, approximately 250 million children worldwide have

Vitamin A deficiency. While these statistics refer to primarily developing

nations, researchers are beginning to examine a link between Vitamin A

deficiency and Autism.

Autistic children may have a Vitamin A deficiency because of gastrointestinal

inflammation caused by Leaky Gut syndrome, allergies or viral infections.

Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of treatable blindness in the world.

This important vitamin is necessary for the health of every organ in the body.

It is essential for normal growth and development, cell growth and repair,

especially in bones, teeth, collagen and cartilage. Vitamin is known as a

natural anti-infective and anti-viral agent.

Vitamin A can be found naturally in animal products like liver and whole milk

and cold water fish like salmon and cod. Cod liver oil is an excellent source of

Vitamin A. For further information about Vitamin A deficiency and Autism see the

links below.

a.. Article: Autism May Linked to Vitamin A

Deficiency<http://www.newsnet5.com/yourhealth/yourhealth-990812-191714.html>

b.. Vitamin A Information<http://bookman.com.au/vitamins/>

c.. Dr. Megson's Vitamin A Research<http://www.megson.com/>

d.. Fish Oil and Cod Liver Oil Wellness

Page<http://www.drugstore.com/guide/Supp/Fish_Oil.asp>

[Guest guest]

one possible cause.

>

> From: " jennifer thompson " <autism_mercurylist@...>

> Date: 2004/06/26 Sat PM 03:47:01 EDT

> " AMlist AMlist " < >

> Subject: [ ] Autism and immune system/Autism and vaccines

>

>

[Guest guest]

If you read it all, there were numerous examples of how the cause can be from

vaccines also.

[ ] Autism and immune system/Autism and vaccines

>

>